Latest news with #trans-European
Fibre2Fashion
13 hours ago
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
EU allocates $3.27 bn to 94 transport projects under CEF
The European Commission has allocated nearly €2.8 billion (~$3.27 billion) in EU grants to 94 transport projects under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). This investment will focus on modernising railways, inland waterways, and maritime routes across the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), enhancing connectivity and competitiveness within the EU. The European Commission has allocated €2.8 billion (~$3.27 billion) in grants to 94 transport projects under CEF. The funding will modernise railways, waterways, and maritime routes, focusing on sustainability and resilience. Key projects include Rail Baltica, high-speed rail in Czechia and Poland, and enhanced road safety and air traffic management. Selection will be formalised by October 2025. Rail transport will receive the largest share, with 77 per cent of the total funding directed towards infrastructure upgrades, including Rail Baltica in the Baltic region, high-speed rail development in Czechia and Poland, and the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) across 11 Member States, European Commission said in a release. Maritime and inland waterway projects will focus on reducing emissions and improving resilience, including the installation of shore-side electricity at ports and digital traffic management systems. Additional investments will enhance road safety, air traffic management, urban mobility, and bolster transport links to Ukraine. The projects are expected to improve regional trade, strengthen infrastructure resilience, and contribute to the EU's green transition. The Commission will formalise the selection by October 2025. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Europe's hydrogen infrastructure faces 2-3 year delay, Enagas CEO says
Madrid: The deployment of pipes and other infrastructure to ship hydrogen across Europe faces delays of two or three years, the head of Spanish gas grid operator Enagas said on Tuesday. The firm is among the staunchest supporters of the green hydrogen industry , which uses renewable energy for its production. Earlier this year, Enagas pledged to invest more than 4 billion euros by the end of the decade, mostly to diversify into managing a network of hydrogen infrastructure. It plans to build a 2,600 km (1,615 mile) hydrogen network in Spain to be connected to the planned trans-European H2Med corridor aimed at connecting the Iberian region with northwest Europe. Enagas still expects the Spanish network to be ready by 2030. However, at the European level delays of two or three years are likely, Chief Executive Arturo Gonzalo said. "Are there delays in Europe? I would say delays of a very limited member states are setting the launch date for their hydrogen infrastructures between 2030 and 2032," he said.
India Today
19-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
PM Modi's historic visit to Croatia: Why Croatia matters for India
This historic visit, part of Modi's broader diplomatic tour including Cyprus and Canada, underscores Croatia's growing importance in India's European strategy and highlights the deep civilisational connections between the two nations. Croatia's significance to India extends far beyond its modest size, encompassing strategic geographic positioning, political influence, and cultural resonance that makes it a vital partner in India's evolving European geographic gateway Croatia's location on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea positions it as a crucial maritime gateway to Europe. The country's major ports—Rijeka, Split, and Ploce—are integral components of the European Union's core TEN-T network, supporting trans-European transport infrastructure. For India, these ports represent vital nodes for European exports, particularly as international logistics routes undergo reshaping in the post-COVID era and amid ongoing disruptions in the Suez and Red Sea strategic importance becomes even more pronounced in the context of India's ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) initiative. The country serves as a critical link in this new trade chain, particularly for distribution to Central and Eastern Europe, offering India an alternative route to traditional Western European influence within EU and NATOAs a full member of both the European Union and NATO, Croatia wields considerable political authority and provides India with indirect access to European regulatory systems and policy debates. This dual membership is particularly valuable for India's ongoing negotiations for the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, which has faced delays due to regulatory and geopolitical position within these institutions offers India a diplomatic ally that can advocate for Indian interests within European decision-making processes, providing a level of influence that extends far beyond the country's multilateral partnerCroatia has consistently supported India's positions on international forums, backing India's bid for permanent membership in the UN Security Council and maintaining a non-interventionist stance on sensitive issues like Jammu and Kashmir. Unlike larger EU countries that sometimes adopt more complex diplomatic positions, Croatia has proven to be a reliable and predictable diplomatic partner for gateway and growing trade relationsDespite Croatia's relatively small market size, Indian companies view it as a strategic gateway to the European Union, particularly in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, information technology, and engineering. Bilateral trade, while modest at USD 337.68 million in 2023, demonstrates steady growth and potential for institutional framework supporting this economic relationship includes the India-Croatia Agreement on Economic Cooperation (2017), the Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (2001), and various sector-specific agreements. The India-Croatia Startup Bridge, initiated in 2021, has fostered entrepreneurial cooperation in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, green technology, and Modi accomplished in CroatiaPrime Minister Modi's visit to Zagreb resulted in several significant commitments and agreements that are set to transform the bilateral relationship into a more strategic and dynamic cooperation frameworkadvertisementOne of the most significant outcomes was the announcement of long-term plans for deepening defence partnership. Modi emphasised that this cooperation would focus on defence production alongside training and military exchanges, building upon the existing Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed between the two countries in Prime Minister highlighted areas where the two economies can supplement each other's capacities, suggesting a comprehensive approach to defence collaboration that goes beyond traditional military cooperation to include industrial partnerships and technology and industrial collaborationModi announced India's commitment to enhance investment in Croatia's critical industries, including pharmaceuticals, agriculture, information technology, clean technology, digital technology, and semiconductors. This comprehensive investment strategy demonstrates India's recognition of Croatia as a key partner in technological advancement and sustainable significant was Modi's invitation for Croatian companies to participate in India's Sagarmala project, which focusses on port modernisation, coastal zone development, and multimodal connectivity. This initiative opens vast opportunities for Croatian maritime expertise and technology, leveraging the country's strong maritime heritage and cooperation initiativeThe Prime Minister announced that India would share its space expertise with Croatia, marking a new frontier in bilateral cooperation. This collaboration reflects India's growing capabilities in space technology and its willingness to share expertise with strategic partners, potentially opening avenues for joint space ventures and technology and cultural exchangesBuilding on the existing cultural connections, Modi announced that academic institutes from both countries would carry out joint research projects. He specifically appreciated the Indology department at Zagreb University, acknowledging the deep academic interest in Indian studies that has existed in Croatia for over six two sides finalised a five-year plan for cultural exchange programs, institutionalising the people-to-people connections that have historically linked the two nations. This cultural framework builds upon Croatia's long-standing engagement with Indian philosophy, with Sanskrit studies at the University of Zagreb and widespread adoption of yoga and Ayurveda practices amongst Croatian mobility and diplomatic engagementModi announced that India and Croatia would "soon" sign a mobility agreement to facilitate the movement of people between the two countries. This agreement is expected to boost tourism, educational exchanges, and business cooperation, making it easier for citizens of both nations to engage in various collaborative visit also established a framework for expanded annual foreign office consultations, ensuring regular diplomatic dialogue at the highest level and institutionalising the diplomatic momentum generated by this historic solidarityThe Prime Minister expressed gratitude for Croatia's support following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, emphasising shared values in combating terrorism. This solidarity demonstrates Croatia's reliability as a partner willing to stand with India during challenging times and reinforces the democratic values that bind the two ahead: Strategic implicationsModi's visit to Croatia represents more than bilateral engagement; it signals India's evolving European strategy that moves beyond traditional Western European partnerships to embrace newer EU members who often hold significant influence in the bloc's consensus-driven decision-making generally neutral stance on major global confrontations and its willingness to cooperate on technology make it an important ally in India's diversified European approach. The country's minimal reliance on China and scepticism toward the Belt and Road Initiative position it as an ideal partner for India's alternative vision of democratic cooperation and sustainable agreements and commitments made during this visit have the potential to not only transform India-Croatia relations but also enhance India's overall engagement with Eastern Europe. As Croatia shares borders with major European countries including Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, strengthening ties with Zagreb provides India with enhanced access to Central European markets and emerging Minister Modi's historic visit to Croatia thus marks the beginning of a new chapter in India's European engagement, one characterised by deeper strategic partnerships, enhanced economic cooperation, and strengthened people-to-people connections. The visit demonstrates that in an increasingly multipolar world, meaningful partnerships can transcend size and geography, rooted instead in shared values, mutual respect, and complementary Watch
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New 'affordable' night train service to link European cities in 2027
Europe's long-haul sleeper train revival is set for a further boost with the planned roll-out of overnight services connecting over 20 destinations across the continent from a new service launching in 2027. Berlin-based start-up Nox announced in June it would provide rooms onboard for one or two people for "the price of a flight" in an effort, the company claims, to offer an alternative to short-haul air travel. "Today people have to share their cabins with strangers, beds are tight, and it's often more expensive than air travel. We want to change that and make night trains an essential part of European travel," said Nox co-founder Thibault Constant. According to Nox, "affordable fares" will be on offer on 35 routes connecting cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Milan, Paris, Rome and Warsaw. The trains are to have three classes of rooms with 2-metre long beds, seats, tables and room enough to stand up and store luggage. The announcement comes in the wake of an expansion of trans-European train travel and overnight connections, with the legacy operators such as Austria's ÖBB joining new providers such as European Sleeper in providing services. A group of Finnish businessmen have pitched a high-speed rail link to cut the journey time from Oslo to Stockholm from five hours to 90 minutes. However, not all rail projects are proceeding smoothly, with French environmentalists trying to stop a proposed high-speed route connecting the rugby-playing hubs of Bordeaux and Toulouse.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Make It to Munich review – uplifting story of a young footballer cycling to recovery
This is an uplifting film about a miracle of ordinary life: the lightning-fast recovery of the teenage Scottish footballer Ethan Walker after being hit by a car, and the 745 mile (1,200km) bike ride he undertook from Hampden Park, Glasgow, to Munich just nine months after the accident to deliver the match pennant for the opening game of Euro 2024. Walker – on a football scholarship in New York when he was struck at 60mph – suffered cataclysmic injuries, including two brain haemorrhages, multiple fractures, the dislocation of his right knee and a lacerated lung. Advertisement So you understand the concern of Walker's companions when he chooses to ride hands-free, arms outstretched, double thumbs-up. But that's just the style of this carrot-topped trouper: resolutely cheerful and un-self-pitying, despite facing the end of his football career before it began, and aftershocks of the accident such as a lingering speech impediment. Director Martyn Robertson intercuts Walker's progress through Scotland, England, the Netherlands and Germany with flashbacks to his recovery. His boon companion on both legs is orthopaedic surgeon Gordon Mackay, himself a former Rangers footballer, who rebuilt the youngster's knee using pioneering ligament repair techniques. The film is possibly a little too low-incident for its own good – the Rhine bursting its banks over their route is the worst of it – but is testament to the stout spirit with which Walker leads the enterprise. Robertson, who previously directed the similar sporting-adversity story Ride the Wave (2022), borrows the quiet wisdom of his subject and lets it colour the story. Amid the punctures and pitstops there are discreet road-movie epiphanies: Walker accepting, when his surgeon levels with him, that he must now focus on coaching, not playing, and his wry smile as he finally acknowledges that his resilience is, after all, exceptional. With the boy's parents checking in by phone as he rediscovers his autonomy, the quasi-paternal bond between Walker and Mackay is touching. Advertisement The internal journey is as significant as the trans-European one, a feeling Robertson buffs with quick lyrical bursts, such as a drone shot over a poppy field, or a spaced-out Walker singing the Spider-Man theme tune to a spider dangling from a car-park ceiling. Even Scotland getting hammered 5-1 at the end can't dampen the spirit of this unassuming and heartening pilgrimage. • Make It to Munich is in UK cinemas from 15 May.
